4/19/24

(Seattle, WA) Still in search of their first series win of the 2024 season, the Seattle Mariners returned home for a couple of three-game series with teams from the NL Central with the Chicago Cubs visiting T-Mobile Park first. This felt like it could be the early turning point of the Mariners season if they could come home and take care of business against a team that was viewed as being on the same level as the M’s coming into the season. Instead, the panic alarms continued to ring as the Mariners had another lackluster series conclude in negative fashion.

Mariners 4, Cubs 2 (Game 1, 4/12)

Friday night marked the Mariners first game on Apple TV+ of the season as the M’s repped their City Connect jerseys with Bryce Miller on the mound against the Cubs and Jordan Wicks. Seattle put a threat together early on as they loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 2nd after Mitch Haniger and Jorge Polanco both singled and Mitch Garver walked. Cal Raleigh would then strikeout and Dylan Moore flew out to shallow right field which kept the bases loaded with two outs. Luis Urías came to the plate and after fouling off four consecutive pitches, would be hit in the leg with a slider which scored the first run of the game making it 1-0 Seattle.

Bryce Miller was once again dealing for the Mariners as he picked up right where he left off in Milwaukee. He kept the Cubs scoreless thru four innings and only allowed one Cub to get in scoring position in those four frames. In the home half of the 4th, Seattle threatened again. Mitch Garver, Dylan Moore, and J.P. Crawford all walked with strikeouts of Cal Raleigh and Luis Urías mixed in to once again load the bases with two outs. Julio Rodriguez stepped up to the plate and with J-Rod having a horrendous start to the season, it felt like the entire game rode on that at bat. Luckily, Julio would come through with a base hit to center that skipped just in front of Cody Bellinger. Garver and Moore scored to extend the lead to 3-0. The hottest bat in the lineup then followed as Ty France singled to right to score Crawford and give Miller some breathing room with a 4-0 lead.

It looked like Bryce Miller would have a second consecutive scoreless outing as he pitched into the 7th. After striking out Michael Busch to begin the inning, Miller would walk Nico Hoerner which ended his night as he left the game still responsible for the baserunner at first. Trent Thornton came on in relief and before he could record an out, Thornton threw the ball down the right field line on a pickoff attempt which allowed Hoerner to move up to second. A phenomenal defensive night for Luis Urías was capped off with a fantastic sliding catch in foul territory to retire Mike Tauchman. A grounder to Urías looked like it would end the inning, but a tough throw was missed by Ty France for an error and Hoerner scored from second to make it 4-1.

Andrés Muñoz pitched the top of the 8th and retired the side in order and the M’s held a 4-1 lead going into the 9th. Ryne Stanek would look to lock the game down and get the final three outs and got off to a good start by getting Dansby Swanson to fly out to left. The one thorn in the side of the Mariners on Friday night was Michael Busch and he proved to be troublesome again in the final inning. Busch jumped a 3-2 fastball and crushed it into the right field stands for his third home run of the year, making it 4-2. Another rocket would be hit by Nico Hoerner but it was right at Dylan Moore who made the catch for the second out. A routine grounder from Mike Tauchman to Jorge Polanco would wrap things up as the Mariners started off the homestand with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs

Notable Performances

Cubs

• Michael Busch- 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI, R
• Nico Hoerner- 1-3, R, BB
• Jordan Wicks (L, 0-2)- 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 SO

Mariners

• Bryce Miller (W, 2-1)- 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO
• Julio Rodriguez- 1-4, 2 RBI
• Ty France- 2-4, RBI

Cubs 4, Mariners 1 (Game 2, 4/13)

Game two would be a pitchers duel as the Mariners faced rookie sensation Shota Imanaga who came into the game without allowing an earned run so far this season. Emerson Hancock would have to be on his game to give the M’s a chance to figure out the Imanaga puzzle.

Both offenses got on the board in the 2nd inning but did so in different ways. In the top half of the inning, back-to-back one out singles by Dansby Swanson and Michael Busch put runners on the corners for the Cubs. Nico Hoerner would avoid hitting the ball on the ground and sent a fly ball to center. Julio Rodriguez would make the catch, but Swanson tagged up and scored from third to make it 1-0 Cubs. In the home half of the inning, a grounder by Mitch Haniger to Dansby Swanson helped the Mariners get going as first baseman Michael Busch dropped the ball at first for an E3 and put the leadoff man on. Jorge Polanco singled to follow and two batters later, Dylan Moore hit a fly ball to center that moved Haniger to third. With runners on the corners and two outs, Luis Urías came through with a double to left to score Haniger and tie the game at 1-1.

The game would not remained tied for long as another Japanese star would turn things back in the Cubs favor. In the top of the 3rd, Seiya Suzuki stepped to the plate with nobody on and two outs. A slider ran back on the inside corner and Suzuki sent it out of the fence in left center for his third home run of the season to give the Cubs back the lead 2-1.

The score remained the same headed into the bottom of the 6th and back-to-back walks by Mitch Haniger and Jorge Polanco began the inning and gave the Mariners a great opportunity to tie the game up. A fantastic play by Christopher Morel at third took a hit away from Mitch Garver, but the runners still moved up to second and third with just one out. Mark Leiter Jr. would come in out of the bullpen for Chicago and pulled off a Houdini act by getting Dylan Moore to line out to Morel and Dominic Canzone to fly out to left to end the inning and the Mariner threat, keeping Seattle behind 2-1.

Michael Busch then made it three straight games with a home run with his solo shot in the top of the 7th, making it 3-1 Cubs. Miguel Amaya added on with his first home run of the year in the 8th making it 4-1. A single in the bottom of the 9th by Cal Raleigh would be all that the M’s could muster in a comeback attempt but it wasn’t enough as they dropped game two 4-1.

Notable Performances

Cubs

• Shota Imanaga (W, 2-0)- 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
• Michael Busch- 2-4, HR, RBI, R
• Seiya Suzuki- 1-4, HR, RBI, R

Mariners

• Luis Urías- 1-2, 2B, RBI
• Mitch Haniger- 1-3, R, BB
• Emerson Hancock (L, 1-2)- 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO

Cubs 3, Mariners 2 (Game 3, 4/14)

Sunday afternoon was the rubber game of the three-game series between the Mariners and Cubs and the M’s were looking to secure their first series win of the season. Fans were also hoping to see the Luis Castillo that they are used to seeing but it didn’t get off to a good start. In the top of the 1st, a one out double for Seiya Suzuki put a runner in scoring position immediately. Cody Bellinger would hit a grounder that was going to be a very tough play for Castillo and a throwing error made things worse as Suzuki was able to score to make it 1-0 early.

In the top of the 4th, Chicago opened things up for the Cubs. A double for Dansby Swanson led off the inning and that brought up the Mariner killer of this series in Michael Busch. The 26-year-old made it four consecutive games with a home run as he blasted his fifth home run of the season and this two-run shot was perhaps the biggest as Chicago extended their lead to 3-0.

Seattle’s offense couldn’t get anything going with the bats until the home half of the 6th. A one-out single by J.P. Crawford was followed by a Mitch Haniger strikeout. With two outs and one man on, Jorge Polanco continued to put things together after a bumpy first couple of weeks as a Mariner. A cutter right in the middle of the plate was deposited into the right center seats for Polanco’s second home run of the season. In the blink of an eye, the game had tightened back up as the Mariners trailed just 3-2.

The bullpen kept the deficit where it was at but the offense still needed another couple of runs to earn the win. In the bottom of the 7th, Dylan Moore was hit by a pitch and Mitch Garver walked to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Cal Raleigh gave one a ride out to center but it was caught by Cody Bellinger. Moore moved up to third with Luke Raley coming to the plate. It was worst case scenario for the M’s as Raley hit into a routine double play to end the inning and the threat with no damage being done.

In the bottom of the 8th, Josh Rojas, J.P. Crawford, and Jorge Polanco all walked to load the bases with one out. Ty France would not be able to come through this time as he hit into a double play as well to kill another Mariner threat.

Just when it looked like things couldn’t get worse, Cal Raleigh singled with two outs in the bottom of the 9th to put the tying run on and the winning run coming to the plate. Julio Rodriguez entered the game as a pinch runner for Raleigh and was clearly looking to steal to get himself into scoring position. He would never have the opportunity as Adbert Alzolay would pick off J-Rod at first for the final out and a gut punch to the Mariner faithful. Missed opportunities cost the Mariners once again as they dropped the series finale and the rubber game 3-2.

Notable Performances

Cubs

• Michael Busch- 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Seiya Suzuki- 2-4, 2B, R
• Javier Assad (W, 2-0)- 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO

Mariners

• Jorge Polanco- 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, R, BB
• J.P. Crawford- 1-3, R, BB
• Luis Castillo (L, 0-4)- 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 SO

Mariners 9, Reds 3 (Game 1, 4/15)

Seattle continued their homestand with another three-game series against another NL Central team as on Monday night they opened up a series with the Cincinnati Reds. Game one saw George Kirby take the mound against Cincinnati’s ace in Frankie Montas.

It would be a rough welcoming to the PNW for Montas as the Mariners got to Montas early. In the bottom of the 1st, walks for J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodriguez put runners on first and second before Montas recorded an out. Things got better for the M’s as Jorge Polanco continued his hot stretch. Polanco went down and got a 3-1 fastball at the bottom of the zone, sending it 376-feet out to right field for a three-run home run and his third home run of the season. In the blink of an eye, the Mariners had tagged Montas for three runs and had a 3-0 lead before ever recording an out.

Cincinnati had an answer in the top of the 2nd with a long ball of their own. With nobody on and two outs, Jeimer Candelario would smoke a fastball up in the zone for his second home run of 2024. Home runs would be a big part of the Reds’ offense in the series and this was their first as they trailed 3-1.

Seattle would have some home runs of their own in this series and they added on to their lead in the bottom of the 3rd. Another walk allowed by Frankie Montas continued to hurt Cincinnati as his pitch count continued to rise and the Mariners had a runner on with nobody out. Mitch Haniger has been hot to start the season and it continued on Monday night. Haniger chased Montas after just two innings as Mitch drove his third home run of the season into the bullpen. George Kirby has had a tough time getting run support, but the Mariners gave plenty on this night as Seattle extended the lead to 5-1.

Cincinnati deserved credit for their immediate responses as they had another answer in the top of the 4th. A leadoff double for Christian Encarnacion-Strand had a runner in scoring position with former Mariner, Jake Fraley coming to the plate. A check swing would result in a bad break for the M’s as a grounder stayed fair down the left field line. Encarnacion-Strand scored easily as Fraley reached second with his fourth double of the season and the Reds were back in it, trailing 5-2.

Seattle would not be denied on this night however. In the bottom of the 6th with runners on the corners and one out, the debuting Jonatan Clase would record his first major league hit and RBI on the same swing. A grounder into left field plated Ty France and extended the lead to 6-2 as Clase received an ovation from the Mariner faithful.

After Jake Fraley homered in the top of the 7th to make it 6-3, the Mariners broke it open in the bottom of the inning. A single for Julio Rodriguez and another walk for Jorge Polanco had runners on first and second with nobody out. Mitch Haniger yanked a grounder down the left field line for extra bases. Julio scored on Haniger’s third double and the lead was 7-3. Ty France then drove in Polanco with a sacrifice fly and Luke Raley joined in on the fun with an RBI triple to score Haniger and blow up the Mariner lead to 9-3. Tayler Saucedo made quick work of the Reds in the 9th, striking out the side in order and giving the Mariners a 9-3 win in the series opener.

Notable Performances

Reds

• Jake Fraley- 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Jeimer Candelario- 1-3, HR, RBI, R
• Frankie Montas (L, 2-2)- 2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 1 SO

Mariners

• Mitch Haniger- 2-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB
• Jorge Polanco- 1-3, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB
• George Kirby (W, 2-2)- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO

Mariners 3, Reds 1 (Game 2, 4/16)

An offensive explosion in game one for the Mariners was followed by a pitcher’s duel between Logan Gilbert and Hunter Greene. Both pitchers came out dominating in the early portion of the game. The big difference was that Gilbert was dominating the entire count while Greene had to work and throw a lot of pitches against a pesky Mariner lineup. That saw Greene’s pitch count skyrocket as he tried to answer Gilbert zero for zero.

After Greene escaped a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the 3rd, Seattle would finally get to him in the home half of the 4th. With Mitch Garver on first and two outs, rookie Jonatan Clase came up with a huge hit in just his second career game. Clase slapped a line drive to the gap in right center for extra bases. Garver was waved in from third and the throw beat him to the plate, but his slide knocked the ball out of the glove of Cincinnati catcher Luke Maile. After the plate umpire got help from his third base umpire, the call was changed and the Mariners had a 1-0 lead.

Like they did in game one, Cincinnati answered immediately in the top of the 5th. Elly De La Cruz singled and stole second to put runners on second and third with one out. Stuart Fairchild then hit a grounder to second where Jorge Polanco only had one play and threw out Fairchild while Jake Fraley scored to tie the game at 1-1. With the go-ahead runner on third and two outs, Logan Gilbert did get out of the trouble by getting Santiago Espinal to groundout and end the inning.

Hunter Greene’s day was done after just four innings as he was at 98 pitches and Cincinnati had to go to their bullpen for the bottom of the 5th. With Julio Rodriguez on first and one out, Mitch Haniger singled and Cal Raleigh walked to load the bases. Mitch Garver would drive in the go-ahead run without swinging his bat as he drew a walk to score Julio and make it 2-1 Mariners. Justin Wilson would minimize the damage as he came in for the Reds and retired both Luke Raley and Jonatan Clase to leave the bases loaded and keep it a one-run game.

Insurance would come in the bottom of the 6th for the M’s. A single for J.P. Crawford and a wild pitch put him at second with two outs. Jorge Polanco joined him on base with a walk to bring Mitch Haniger to the plate and Haniger once again came through.  A line drive to center field got down for a base hit and Crawford scored easily from second to give Logan Gilbert breathing room with a 3-1 lead.

The top of the 7th was the Julio Rodriguez show as he flashed his elite defense multiple times. First, J-Rod flagged down a slicing drive to take extra bases away from Christian Encarnacion-Strand to begin the inning. A two-out walk to Jake Fraley ended Gilbert’s day as Scott Servais went to the bullpen and brought in Andrés Muñoz to try to get the last out of the inning. Elly De La Cruz would draw a walk against Muñoz to put the tying run on first. This would lead to the most pivotal play of the game. Nick Martini came through with a two-out single to center. Julio Rodriguez came up throwing to third and Josh Rojas made a great tag to get De La Cruz at third for the final out of the inning. The umpire quickly ruled that Fraley did not score before De La Cruz was tagged out as he throttled down with no play being made on him. The mistake cost the Reds a run and kept the Mariners lead at 3-1.

Ryne Stanek would look to close out the game and the first series win of 2024 for the Mariners but it was not easy. A leadoff walk to Will Benson was followed by back-to-back fly outs and the M’s were one out away from a win. Jake Fraley would send a grounder to Ty France who booted the ball before flipping it to Stanek who tried to beat Fraley to first. Stanek would dive to try to tag Fraley but came up empty and injured his hand in the process. A walk to Elly De La Cruz loaded the bases with two outs and brought Tyler Stephenson to the plate. Tayler Saucedo entered the game for Seattle and would put an end to the Reds rally by getting Stephenson to fly out to Julio in center to give the Mariners a 3-1 win and their first series victory of the season.

Notable Performances

Reds

• Jake Fraley- 1-3, R, BB
• Hunter Greene (ND)- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 SO

Mariners

• Mitch Haniger- 2-4, RBI
• Jonatan Clase- 1-4, 2B, RBI
• Logan Gilbert (W, 1-0)- 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO

Mariners 5, Reds 1 (Game 3, 4/17)

After wrapping up the series win, the Mariners had a chance to pull of the sweep in the finale with Cincinnati on Wednesday afternoon. Seattle’s hottest pitcher in Bryce Miller took the mound to take on lefty Andrew Abbott for Cincy.

The Reds would strike first in the top of the 2nd with another home run. Elly De La Cruz got the barrel to a slider running in on his hands and sent his fifth home run of the season into right field to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. This time it was the Mariners with the immediate response and it came with two outs in the bottom of the 2nd. Known for his power from the left side of the plate, Cal Raleigh showed that he still has power from the right side as well as he caught up to a 92-mph fastball on the inner half and sent a skyrocket out to left field for his third home run of the season. The dueling solo homers had the game tied up early at 1-1.

After some early threats died for Seattle, they would go back to the long ball in the bottom of the 6th to take the lead. With the bases empty and two outs, Mitch Garver recorded his first Mariner home run with a no-doubter to left for a solo shot to make it 2-1 Mariners. Another solo homer came for the Mariners in the bottom of the 7th when Josh Rojas entered the game as a pinch-hitter and sent the first pitch he saw out to right for his first homer of the season, making it 3-1. Mitch Haniger added an RBI single and Cal Raleigh drove in another run with a bases loaded walk to make it 5-1.

After allowing a solo homer in the 2nd, Bryce Miller was once again dominant in his six innings of work. The young righty did not allow another hit and only walked one throughout the rest of his outing while striking out seven along the way and recording the Mariners seventh consecutive quality start. The bullpen trio of Trent Thornton, Gabe Speier, and Austin Voth retired the nine batters they faced with five strikeouts to slam the door on the Reds and earn the Mariners the win and the sweep, 5-1.

Notable Performances

Reds

• Elly De La Cruz- 1-3, HR, RBI, R
• Andrew Abbott (L, 1-2)- 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO

Mariners

• Bryce Miller (W, 3-1)- 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO
• Cal Raleigh- 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB
• Mitch Garver- 1-3, HR, RBI, R, BB

What’s Next

Seattle now sits with a record of 9-10 and are just 1 1/2 games behind Texas for first in the AL West as the entire division has gotten off to a slow start. The Mariners will head on the road for the next six games starting with a three-game series in Denver where they take on the Colorado Rockies (4-15) before having their first divisional series of the season when they visit the Texas Rangers (11-9) for three. You can see the pitching matchups and game times for the Rockies series below.

• Game 1, Friday 5:40pm- Emerson Hancock (1-2, 7.98 ERA) vs. Dakota Hudson (0-3, 4.15 ERA)
• Game 2, Saturday 5:10pm- Luis Castillo (0-4, 5.82 ERA) vs. Kyle Freeland (0-3, 13.21 ERA)
• Game 3, Sunday 12:10pm- George Kirby (2-2, 6.64 ERA) vs. Cal Quantrill (0-2, 5.57 ERA)

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